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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rush · cue · stick · firm · mug · scale · lie · spring

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. cue — a hint
  3. mug — a cup
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. spring — the season
  7. mug — a face
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. lie — to recline
  11. scale — size or range
  12. firm — decided
  13. mug — to rob
  14. spring — of water
  15. cue — for pool
  16. rush — hurry
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cue — a signal
  19. scale — in music
  20. firm — a company
  21. spring — a coil
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com